Shlomo Gleyzer talks “Flying Colors” and being a Gen Z frum musician
Shlomo Gleyzer talks “Flying Colors” and being a Gen Z frum musician
The 24-year old bochur thinks secular music might help spread a message of light
“The album really was able to let me express and let me cope with a lot of the things that I was going through. And I really hope that this could be a tool for others as well. I think a lot of these are universal messages, struggle and triumph,” says Shlomo Gleyzer.
A 24-year old bochur, musician Shlomo Gleyzer released his debut album titled “Flying Colors” on January 20.
Music beyond the threshold
Gleyzer is from New York where he was born to a frum family. His parents are originally from the Soviet Union where, as Gleyzer notes, they weren’t able to practice Judaism. He describes having a “very serious, very intense” upbringing in Judaism.
“From a young age, I always had a passion for music,” said Gleyzer, describing his musical background. While his passion was strong from a young age, the music he had access to was more limited. “Really the only music in my house that I knew was really, really religious Hasidic music,” said Gleyzer. “I didn’t really have much secular music in my life.”
“Music I had included very Orthodox musicians like Avraham Fried and the Miami Boys Choir which blew up recently,” said Gleyzer. “The nigunim, the traditional songs from back in Europe. Throughout my time in yeshiva, they actually don’t allow anything besides the traditional songs.”
Reflecting on the secular influences in his music, Gleyzer notes the popular music he would hear ambiently out in the world. “Obviously, my music is highly influenced by secular music, by American music because I live in this world. I constantly heard things around stores or in shops. The way my mind works right away when I hear something I process all the chords and harmonies,” said Gleyzer.
Refracting the light into “Flying Colors”
“I always had a dream of putting out music, expressing myself giving over these messages to the world,” said Gleyzer. “I never really had an outlet and at a certain point in yeshiva, I felt like dropping it because I was composing songs and I didn’ feel like they were going to go anywhere.”
A fateful meeting with one of Gleyzer’s spiritual mentors would change his course for the better. “He told me that any gift that God gives you that you don't use is a waste. He provided something, he gave us something, a light that's meant to be expressed in this world,” said Gleyzer.
The first track of Gleyzer’s album is a sonic prelude quoting the Bereshit, the Book of Genesis.
“God's intro to the world was ‘let there be light and there was light.’ So I felt it appropriate that the intro to my first album should be all about that light. That light was hidden, and darkness fell on the earth, but that didn't that light is within each and every one of us and we just have to bring it out. We have to see the light within each other, we have to see the light within ourselves. I think that's the whole message of the album,” said Gleyzer
The album’s influence from secular pop music is wide ranging. You can hear a number of genres from reggae to hip hop if you listen for them. Even as Gleyzer admittedly isn’t an aficionado of these genres, these genres finding their way to him may well be fateful. One gets a sense that even if his influences are unnamed or unidentifiable, Gleyzer has a sense of the divine shining the light of these gifts and sounds through him as a vessel of song (k’lei zemer).
Frumkeit music to the future
In response to a question from Oyer concerning the frum community’s mixed feelings of reluctance to embrace secular and popular styles, Gleyzer, a musician of a new generation, was confident in his convictions.
“I’m strongly for it. I know, there are people who aren't so supportive of it. But something that I feel very strongly about is that we should constantly evolve with different styles — try and experiment with different things. You should try to stay true to yourself. If that's your style, that's how you should express yourself,” said Gleyzer in response.
“The message I'm trying to get over is one of positivity, for people to look at others in a positive way and see the good in others. Stop judging each other. Everybody's just trying to figure it out. Everybody's trying to live life. Everybody's trying to do the best they can. And if we only were able to work together and appreciate our diversity, we could accomplish so much more.”
Following the release of his freshman album, Gleyzer is excited to find more opportunities to perform and share his message with the world.
 | A guest post by
|